Let’s face it: Everyone loves looking at Christmas decorations, but not everyone is terribly motivated to spend a full weekend hauling dusty boxes from the attic, putting up garland, trimming trees, and then inevitably vacuuming up pine needles. Decorating for the holidays takes time and effort and for the busiest among us, it might not seem worth it.

One thing all busy women have in common is that we are suckers for lists. With the dual demands of work and family life ever increasing, we probably would not survive without them. But lists do not always have to be work or business related: they can be fun, too! With the help of some friends, I’ve put together a holiday bucket list that even the busiest among us can enjoy.

It’s no secret that “the most wonderful time of the year” can also be the most stressful. As soon as we are fully initiated into the post-graduate life, we officially wave goodbye to our old friend the Four-Week Christmas Vacation. This means we need to find a way to do our Christmas shopping, cooking, hosting, party going, and decorating while working, parenting, and simply living day-to-day life. And as life goes on and our families and responsibilities increase, we only have more and more to worry about during the holidays.